Children of acclaimed 1993
Presidential election, M.K.O. Abiola’s are currently at loggerheads over
properties of their late father.

One of the children, Abdul Mumuni
Abiola, called on his brothers – Kola, Deji and Agboola to stop playing god
with the properties their late father left behind.

Abdul, who is the youngest child
of Abiola’s late wife, Kudirat said his older siblings were frustrating his
effort to revive their father’s “derelict properties,” projects and
investments.

In a statement he signed on behalf of his brothers and sisters totalling 40, Abdul also
alleged that his life was in danger.

The statement reads, “I want my
brothers, Kola, Deji, and Agboola to stop playing god with our father’s
properties and abandoned projects and investments. I, my brothers and sisters
totalling 40 children of Abiola are not fighting with them. We don’t have a
bone to pick with them. But we need to step out of the past and of our father’s
shadow. Kola, Deji and Agboola have been peddling lies in the media about my
efforts to bring about changes to the dwindling fortunes of the Abiola family.

“I am ashamed just like my other
brothers and sister to see that after MKO Abiola’s death, many of his legacies
appear to be in shambles. No, it shouldn’t be like that. That is not what MKO
Abiola stood for while he was alive. I want the good people of Nigeria to
prevail on Kola and his cohorts to stop using the police to harass me or those
who are working with me to restore the lost glory of the Abiola family.

“Let me cite an example:
Recently, four men were allegedly arrested and arraigned before a magistrate’s
court for breaking into MKO’s bookshop at Oshodi. They were accused of stealing
equipment and other materials valued at N1 billion. That is a farce.
Deliberately, Kola and Deji ensured that my name was not mentioned in the
newspaper that carried the news report

“Every effort I have been making
to renovate my father’s properties is not self-driven. It is for all my
siblings and for the name of Chief MKO Abiola not to be dragged through the
mud. Why should some people be sending thugs and miscreants after me and those
working with me to renovate MKO Abiola’s properties? Why should that be? Do we
have to wash our dirty linen in the public?

Why should only a select few of
Abiola’s children sit on our father’s properties? I am not even asking them to
give me and my other siblings a share of the money-spinning companies of my
father that they sit on. Our humble request is that they should allow me and my
other siblings who are interested in renovating Abiola’s derelict properties.
They should allow us to revive MKO Abiola’s abandoned projects.

“I have been painstakingly
patient for 18 years. I have watched with long-suffering and regret how few of
my siblings have arrogated to themselves what belong to all of us. MKO Abiola’s
properties don’t belong to Kola, Deji and cohorts alone. They belong to all his
children. We have been put through enough ignominy by Kola. Enough is enough.

“I am also informing the public
that my life is in danger. I don’t feel safe any longer. If anything untoward
happens to me Nigerians should know who to hold responsible. If anything should
happen to me or my siblings, Kola and his cohorts should be held responsible. I
love life but I will not sit down cowardly. It is time all of Abiola’s children
sat down and discuss how what exactly we want to do with our father’s
properties and investments. We really don’t want handouts from anybody. We’re
MKO Abiola’s children. We must uphold the integrity, fame and humanity of Chief
MKO Abiola.”

Confirming the authenticity of
the statement, Abdul also added, “We have been trying to reach out to some
prominent Yoruba leaders but so far, nothing has been resolved. Note, I’m not
trying to scatter our family but to solve our problem.

“I released this statement
because the thing was becoming too much. I was been harassed, they were
releasing false reports, so everyone around was suspecting me. I believed the
harassment was unnecessary. What am I doing with dilapidated properties that
have been abandoned for years.”